Roofing square



March 19, 1940. P. H. ATHERLEY ROOFING SQUARE Filed March 14, 1939 f/YYEZYTOH.

. HiHEZ-ELEY.

Er .H TTORHEYS.

Patented Mar. 19, 1940 {Essie 7 RQOFING SQUARE Percy H. Atherley, San Anselmo, Calif.

Application March 14, 1939, Serial No. 261,829

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in roofing squares, and has particular reference to a device for determining the proper cutting angle for laying out rafters, stairs, hoppers and other angular cuts. The. device may also be used for constructing hips or valleys as well as ridges.

A further object of the invention is to produce an indispensable device of thischaracter which will occupy a minimum amount of space in a tool box, a device that is economical to manufacture, and one that is easy to use.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation'of my device, having a portion thereof broken away;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1, also having a portion thereof broken away;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view of the detent.

In sawing lumber for making roof rafters, it is extremely necessary that the saw cuts be accurately made, or the rafters will not fit in the manner which is desired. r

I have, therefore, devised a tool which may be employed by a carpenter, and when set at definite points the tool will enable the user to cut the lumber at the desired angle with'absolute assurance of a perfect fit.

In the accompanying drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 and the numeral 6 designate parallel pieces which are secured together by a spacer and screw I. Between one end of these parallel members I pivot a piece 8, and to the free end of this piece I pivot a leg 9, which has its free end provided with a spring detent H, the housing of which extends through the leg 9 and has its end I2 projecting into a slot 13 formed in the parallel member 6. Notches l4 are provided in the parallel member 5 andare inclined, as shown to advantage in Fig. 1, and also in alignment with the slot l3,

The result of this construction is that when the parts are in the full line position shown in Fig. 1, the angle between the parallel members and the member 8 will be a right angle, and the leg 9 at an angle of 45 will be a square mitre.

When the parts, however, are moved into the dotted line position, as in Fig. l, the square is set for a roof of /2 pitch, or 12 x 12, the member 3 giving the plumb cut and the member Si giving the mitre or side out, the same being true of any 5 intermediate angle or roof pitch within the range of the device.

It is to be understood that theform of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and 10 that various changes relative to the material, size, shape and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a pair of parallel members secured one to the other and in spaced relation, a memberpivoted to said parallel members and at one end thereof, 20

and a leg secured to the free end of said pivoted member and having its free end pressing between said parallel members, said leg carrying a detent for adjustably positioning said leg between said parallel members, said detent'engaging depres- 26 sions in one of said parallel members and a slot in the other of said parallel members.

2. In a device of the character described, a pair of parallel members secured one to the other in spaced relation, a member pivoted to said paral- 30 lel members at one end thereof, a leg pivoted to the free end of said pivoted member and having its free end passing between said parallel members, a detent extending through the leg between the parallel members and having one end engaging spaced depressions in the inner face of one of said parallel members, and the other end entering a longitudinal recess in the inner face of the other parallel member,

3. In a device of the character described, a 40 pair of parallel members secured one to the other in spaced relation, a member pivoted to said parallel members at one end thereof, a leg pivoted to the free end of said pivoted member and having its free end passing between said parallel members, the inner face of one of said parallel members having a series of spaced depressions, the opposing inner face of the other parallel member having a longitudinal recess arranged directly opposite the depressions, a detent casing extending through the leg andhaving one end sliding in said recess, and a spring pressed detent extending from the other end of PERCY H. ATHERLEY. 5 

